Ofra Haza

Ofra Haza (1957–2000) was an Israeli singer and actress whose international recordings blended Yemeni Jewish musical traditions with pop.

Bezalel Aloni: An Israeli songwriter and manager who guided Ofra Haza’s career from her early years. He discovered Haza and managed her work for much of her career.
Im Nin'alu: A Hebrew song based on a poem by the seventeenth-century Yemenite Jewish poet Shalom Shabazi. Haza’s recording became her defining international hit after its remix circulated widely.
Colors: A 1988 American crime film directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. Haza’s song “Temple of Love” appeared on the film’s soundtrack.
Israeli popular music: Popular music made in Israel, encompassing local, regional, and international styles. Haza became one of its most internationally recognized performers.
Yemenite Jews: A Jewish community with historical roots in Yemen and distinctive religious and musical traditions. Haza’s family background and musical inheritance were Yemenite Jewish.
Shalom Shabazi: A seventeenth-century Yemenite Jewish poet whose Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic poems remain widely sung. His poem supplies the text of “Im Nin’alu,” central to Haza’s best-known recording.
The Prince of Egypt: A 1998 animated musical film by DreamWorks about the biblical story of Moses. Haza voiced Yocheved and sang “Deliver Us” in multiple languages.
World music: A broad music-industry category for recordings marketed through their cultural or geographic traditions. Haza’s international success came partly through the era’s world-music market.
Shoshana Damari: An Israeli singer celebrated for popularizing Yemenite Jewish musical styles. Damari was an earlier Israeli singer whose work brought Yemenite traditions into popular song.
Yemenite Jewish music: A musical tradition shaped by the religious poetry, languages, and community practices of Yemenite Jews. Haza adapted its vocal ornamentation and repertory for modern popular arrangements.

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Zohar ArgovRelated: Her career offers a distinct path from Israeli popular music to global recognition.